Seven undrafted Cougars sign with NFL teams

Case Keenum, left and Patrick Edwards are among seven UH players that signed rookie free agent deals (J. Patric Schneider/For the Chronicle)

Three days, seven rounds and 253 selections went by in the 2012 NFL draft without a single Houston Cougar hearing his name called at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, but that didn’t mean that there won’t be any UH players that are NFL bound.

Seven Cougars have inked rookie free agent contracts with an NFL team. They are as follows:

Quarterback Case Keenum (6-1, 208, 4.82), who left Houston as the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision career leader in total offense, passing yards, passing touchdowns and five other statistical categories, signed with the Houston Texans.

Defensive tackle David Hunter (6-2, 302, 4.99), who was a three-year starter for the Cougars and had 39 tackles and five tackles for loss last year, also signed with the Texans.

Receiver Patrick Edwards (5-9, 172, 4.57), who is the Conference USA career leader in receiving yards and holds UH records in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and 100-yard receiving games, signed with the Detroit Lions.

Running back Michael Hayes (5-8, 200, 4.55), the Cougars’ second-leading rusher and fifth-leading receiver last season, signed with the San Diego Chargers.

Linebacker Sammy Brown (6-2, 242, 4.63), who led the country in tackles for loss and was second in sacks, signed with the St. Louis Rams.

Linebacker Marcus McGraw (5-10, 236, 4.75), who was a four-year starter for the Cougars at middle linebacker and led them in tackles all four seasons, signed with the Arizona Cardinals.

Running back Bryce Beall (5-10, 224, 4.64), who left Houston as the school’s third all-time leading rusher (3,104 rushing yards), signed with the Dallas Cowboys.

Keenum’s signing with the Texans created the most buzz on Saturday night. It wasn’t easy for the 24-year-old to watch the draft go by on Saturday without being chosen, but he said he’s not focusing on that.

“”It was a tough day,” he said. “I felt good throughout the whole thing. Obviously everybody wants to get drafted. I think it’s just kind of how it is. I’m not going to look at that as anything. I’m going to look to the future and not waste any time with any of that sort of thing.”

Keenum was one of five Cougars who had the chance to work out for the Texans at the Methodist Training Center at Reliant Park on April 14. The Texans annually host a private workout for Houston-area draft prospects and Keenum caught Gary Kubiak’s eye that day (Kubiak said Keenum was the first call he placed as soon as the draft was complete). Keenum also ran into Kubiak while golfing at Wildcat Golf Club in recent weeks and Keenum said he looked at the chance encounter as a sign.

“God has shown me the path my entire life, whether it’s been one scholarship offer in high school or this deal here with the Texans,” Keenum said. “I’ve got complete faith in Him and know that His plan is a whole lot better than mine. I’m just overjoyed it’s where my family wanted me to end up and where he had me at.”

Keenum said he and his wife Kimberly will move into a bigger place, probably not far from where they currently stay. He said he’s ready for whatever the Texans have in store for him.

“I think I have to go in and try and make the team better,” Keenum said. “I think you make the team better by making yourself better. I have to become he best NFL quarterback that I can possibly be and I think that makes everybody else better. I’m going to learn and grow and I want to help the team, in whatever way that is. Whatever role they have for me I want to fit that role, I want to be coachable and do what I’m supposed to do.”

The situation is nothing new for Keenum, who had one scholarship offer from a Division I school (Houston) coming out of Abilene Wylie High School. It’s a feeling also known well by one of Keenum’s primary targets over the years, receiver Patrick Edwards, who said he’s looking at his opportunity with the Lions like he did his chance with the Cougars coming out of Hearne.

Edwards had no scholarship offers and walked on at Houston before becoming one of the most statistically prolific receivers in school history.

“There are similarities,” Edwards said on Sunday. “I didn’t get looked at in high school or get offered a scholarship so I’m just going to treat it that way and go in like I walked on at UH and earn everything.”

The 23-year-old beat some odds during his UH career, coming back from a major leg injury suffered in 2008 at Marshall. He said he plans to approach his future like he has his past.

“My expectations are just to go in and get the respect and go out there and ball out and show them what I can do, just like I did in the last five years at UH,” he said. “I feel like I’ve had a good work ethic all my life so I’m just going to take that to the next level.”

An interesting side note about the draft and UH: The Cougars were the only team in the Associated Press Top 25 that didn’t have a player selected in the draft. The Cougars were one of two teams in the USA Today Coaches Poll (BYU was the other) with that distinction. There were 10 players chosen out of Conference USA from six schools: Central Florida, Marshall, Memphis, Rice, Southern Mississippi, SMU and UAB. SMU had four players chosen while the remaining schools on the list had one each.

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The UH women’s 1,600-meter relay team claimed a gold medal at the prestigious Penn Relays on Saturday, winning the 4×400-meter race with a time of 3:38.86.

Brittany Wallace, Ciera Johnson, Tai’shea Reese and Ngozi Onwumere teamed up on the relay, leading Houston to its first place finish in the event.

Other top three or notable finishes from the Cougars in the 118th Penn Relays:

Nate Pineda (men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase): fourth place, 9:08.98 (personal best for Pineda and the fastest time amongst collegiate competitors while competing in the Olympic Development division).

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The Cougars were swept on the diamond on both the men’s and women’s side over the weekend.

The UH baseball team lost three at UAB, capped by a 1-0 loss on Sunday in which senior lefthander Jordan Lewis took the loss on the mound despite throwing seven scoreless innings and yielding just two hits.

The Blazers got their only run when Tanner Bryant doubled in the fifth and reached third on an error. He scored on an RBI groundout by catcher Jacob German.

Houston is 14-26-1 on the season and 3-11-1 in Conference USA. The Cougars remain in eighth place, a half-game ahead of last-place Marshall.

Meanwhile the softball team fell 6-3 at Central Florida on Sunday, marking the first time this season the squad was swept in Conference USA play. Diedre Outon dropped to 11-9 with the loss after allowing three first-inning runs without retiring a batter. UH rallied for three runs in the ninth down 6-0, but wouldn’t get any closer.

UH is now 29-21 overall and 12-9 in C-USA, tied for fourth place in the league with Marshall. Any hopes of a second consecutive NCAA Tournament bid for the Cougars will likely require the Cougars to win the C-USA Tournament title.